Attachment for ladders.



No. 891,965. PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908.

G. L. THOMAS.

ATTACHMENT FOR LADDERS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB. 6. 1908.

CLARENCE L. THOMAS, OF OGDEN, IOWA.

ATTACHMENT FOR LADDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented June 30, 1908 Application filed March 6, 1908. Serial No.419,679.

To all whom tt'may com-em:

Be it known that LCLARENCE L. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at ()gden, in the county of Boone and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and. useful Attachment for Ladders, of' which thefollowing is a specification. 1

This invention relates to attachments for ladders and it is moreparticularly an extension foot designed to be placed upon one of theside rails of a ladder whereby the ladder can be supported in an uprightposition upon an inclined or an uneven surface.

A further object is to provide an attachment of this character which canbe secured to the ladder without the necessity of perforating orotherwise weakening the side rail to which it is attached.

Another object is to provide simple and eflicient means for securing thefoot in adjusted position so as to properly support the weight to whichthe ladder is subjected.-

\Vith these and other ob'ects in View the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction and combinations of parts which will behereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanyin drawings is shown the preferred form of t einventlon.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of theladder and showing the attachment applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlargedface view of the attachment. Fig. 3 is a section on line AB, Fig. 2.Fig. 4 1s a section on line CD, Fig. 2.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 desi natesa'ladder to one of the side rails of whic an attachment embodying thepresent improvements is designed to be secured.

This attachment consists of an elongated base plate 2 upon which isarranged a retaining plate 3 which is secured thereto by rivets or inany other preferred manner and formed longitudinally along the center ofthis plate is an outwardly extending substantially semicylindricalkeeper 4 slotted longitudinally as indicated at 5 and designed toreceive a slide 6 in the form of a tube or rod. This slide has a foot 7screwed or otherwise fastened, upon its outer end and extending throughthe slot 5 and into the slide 6 is a set screw 8 the head of which is soproportioned as to bind upon opposite edges of the slot should it bedesired to utilize this bolt for assisting in securing the slide in ad justed position. -A yoke 9 straddles one end portion of the keeper 4 andhas ears 10 which rest upon the plate 3. A wing screw 1] is mountedwithin the middle ortion of this strip and extends through the kee orinto contact with slide 6. This screw is esigned to bind upon the slide6 with sufficient ressure to preventlon itudinal movementt ereofrelative to the eeper. Bolts 12 extend through the plates 2 and 3adjacent their longitudinal edges and one pair of these bolts extendsthrough the ears 10. The bolts of each pair are spaced apart a distanceequal to the thickness of the side strip '1 as indicated in Figs. 3 and4 and are designed to be fastened within cross strips 13 which arearranged upon the inner face of the side strip 1 as indicated in Fig. 1.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that when the bolts12 are properly secured the will hold the attachment firmly upon one othe side rails without the necess'ity of perforating. the side rail orotherwise weakening it. After the attachment has been secured in themanner described the screws 8 and 11 are loosened and slide 6 isadjusted so as to bring the foot 7 at a desired distance be 0nd thelower end of the side rail of the la der. Said slide is then secured byturning the screw 11 thereagainst and if additional securing means aredeemed desirable the screw 8 is turned inwardly so that its head willbind upon the keeper 4. Said keeper will therefore be tightl clampedbetween the slide 6 and the head 0 the screw 8. It will be seen that thebolts 12 of the lower pair serve not only to hold the attachment uponthe side rail but also bind the yoke 9 upon the plate 3. It will beapparent therefore that when the attachment is packed for the purposesof storing or shipping it the yoke 9 can be removed from the keeper 4and the device therefore packed within a smaller compass than otherwise.By providing a foot which is detachably connected to the slide it isossible to remove the same and substitute a oot of a different formwhich might be better adapted for use under certain conditions.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a side rail of a ladder; of an attachmentthereon comprising a base plate, fastening means engagin said plate andembracing the rail, a longitudinally slotted kee or disposedlongitudinally upon the base p ate, a slide mounted within the keeperand extending beyond the base plate, a yoke straddling t e keeper andengaged and retained by said securing means, means Within the yoke forengagin the slide to hold it in adjusted position, an securing meansmovably engaging the slide and Within the slide for engaging the Wallsof said slot.

2. An extension attachment for ladders comprisin a base plate, aretaining device extendin ongitudinall thereon, said device having aongitudinal s ot, a yoke straddling the retaining device, securing boltsextending through the yoke and base plate, a cross strip for enga ementthereby, a tubular slide mounted wit in the retaining device andprojecting therebeyond, means Within the yoke for bindin upon the slideto hold it against longitu inal movement, securing means Withm. the slotand carried by the slide for engagement with the walls of the slot, anda foot detachably connected to one end of the slide.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE L. THOMAS.

Witnesses C. HELDT, Jr., F. M. LOREMON.

